


Birthdays

by orphan_account



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Birthday Fluff, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-15
Updated: 2014-11-15
Packaged: 2018-02-25 10:37:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2618732
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean's having his seventeenth birthday party, and Castiel promised he'd show up - the thing is, Dean keeps checking the clock, and Cas still isn't there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Birthdays

Dean checks his watch.

It's the third time in the first hour of the party that he's checked it, and a new person has noticed after each check. First, his own mother noticed. Then Charlie, one of his closest friends. After that, Sam. If the fact that Cas still hadn't showed up was making him feel like shit, the assurances from his family and friends were making him feel worse. 

"I'm sure he'll be here soon, honey," was what Mary said.

"C'mon, Dean. He'll show up, he's your best friend! Besides, who could skip a party with Moondor inspired decorations?" Charlie had desperately tried to cheer him up, dragging him around the rather dorky party. It had helped for about twenty minutes. Then he checked again.

"Cas will definitely be here. Dean, he doesn't really like big groups of people, right? Maybe he's just waiting for it to die down a little," Sam tried to reassure him, placing a small hand on Dean's shoulder as they stood in one of the hallways of their house. Dean had just shrugged him off, heading back into the party and cheering like everyone else was, dancing a little and mingling a little. He still felt like crap.

Dean understands, he really does. Castiel's parent usually have him on lock down, so when he told Dean he could actually make it to the party, that in itself had been a miracle. If they Novak parents had changed their minds, taken Cas's phone, Dean  _completely_ understood. If it was an isolated thing, he could get it. The thing is that it had been happening more and more.

Castiel had been spending more time away from him, taking the little time they had together in school and spending it elsewhere. Dean didn't know where his friend got off to during the day, but he knew that it wasn't with him and it was damn far enough that none of Castiel's other friends could find him, either. So it really  _wasn't_ an isolated thing, to just leave Dean without a single call or text or  _fucking note_ about what was going on. If Dean was honest with himself, he was pissed at Castiel. More than pissed - he was furious.  _You don't just leave people like that. I've had enough people do that to me, Cas. Not you, too._ _  
_

He had been wanting to say that to him for the past few weeks, trying to get Cas to blurt out where he was going or why he had suddenly lost all interest in Dean. He just didn't want to have to go through this crap anymore - he loved his best friend, even if he wouldn't say it. He loved Cas in a... _different_ way, but he couldn't tell him that, either. But not wanting to ruin their friendship by trying to address the current problem with their friendship seemed too dangerous and complicated for Dean to even  _try_ and attempt. So he settled with this - waiting and checking the clock, trying to enjoy himself and having a truly shitty time instead. 

After the first hour ends, Dean walks back into the kitchen, the place he'd originally spoken with Charlie. He pulls out some more snacks and drinks, ready to set them back up for a room full of teenagers. Full is a bit of an overstatement - there's Sam, Charlie, Jo, Ash, Pamela, Andrea, Adam, and Benny. A few of Sam's friends had showed up too, younger kids that had spent most of their time sitting in the dining room and discussing nerdy things. All of Sam's friends were nerds. Kind of ironic to call them nerds, considering the LARP-themed party that Dean's friends had thrown. 

The second hour of the party is more fun, the initial excitement of  _"oh, a party"_ dying down to a bunch of teenagers slumping on couches and drinking sodas. This was always Dean's favorite part of hanging out with his friends; the relaxation, the simplicity of sitting and talking with them instead of dancing or poorly singing along to music that was too "pop". It was nice, really. Dean couldn't help thinking about how much better it would have been with Cas there, though. 

 

***

 

"If you think you're going to that boy's home, you're wrong, Castiel."

His mother's voice was firm and cold, icy words drifting around the room and filling him with a sense of despair.  _I have to go. I promised._

"Mother, I made a -"

She cuts off her son, lifting a graceful hand to stop him. "What I say is final, Castiel. Go to your room. You've spent far too much time with those _Winchesters."_ She spits out the word, almost like the sound of it iss bitter on her tongue. 

Mrs. Novak turns away from Castiel, his bag from school still hanging over his shoulder. Dean's party was supposed to start just after school, and so far he's about ten minutes late.  _I promised._

Castiel trudges up the stairs in the opposite direction of his parent. His room is on the second floor, everything colored white and beige like the rest of the house. He can't help flinging his bag down in anger, sitting on the bed and letting his head fall into his hands. He hadn't even spoken to Dean that day - he'd been too busy finishing it.  _It,_ the heavy thing resting in his pocket, wrapped in old newspaper and tied up nice and pretty with a piece of twine. 

Who was he kidding - the wrapping looked like shit, and there was a twine bow on top. It was far from aesthetically pleasing, but Castiel had spent weeks working on the thing inside the paper. He didn't know what kind of excuse to give Dean without giving away the project, but he knew that he really, _really_ didn't want to miss giving it to his best friend. More than best friend. Best friend and also secret crush.

More than a crush, even; Castiel cared about Dean more than he cared about anyone else in the universe. He knew that was saying a lot, but he felt like he finally needed to tell Dean, whether the feelings were reciprocated or not. So he had taken away time from their friendship to make this  _thing,_ this little thing that probably couldn't get the point across that Cas wanted it to. 

He promised.

Castiel quickly rose off the bed, extracting the package and placing it on the bed. He strips out of his clothes efficiently, tossing on a clean t-shirt and some old sweatpants. If he's gonna run the few miles to get to Dean's house in January, he wants to be at least a little warm. He puts on a hoodie, careful to place Dean's gift inside the one pocket that zips. Retying his shoes, Cas stands again and waits by his window, dark hair a mess and eyes tired but determined. He was going to get to that  _fucking_ party, even if it meant walking in freezing weather rather late at night. And Castiel knows it'll have to be late by the time he'll actually get the chance to sneak out - but he can do it. He has to.

He waits near his window for four hours, watching the time pass by on his wall clock and feeling worse and worse with every passing minute. It's almost eight by the time he gets the window open and scales the oak tree next to the house. There's a thin layer of snow still covering the ground, but he hopes that the roads won't be too icy. Castiel checks his pocket again, making sure that the package is safe and sound. He takes one last look behind him at the window, up at the nice glass and painted siding of the old Victorian-style mansion. 

"Fuck this," he mumbles under his breath, feeling exhilarated at using the curse. He runs off into the cold night, praying that he'll get there before it's too late. 

 

***

 

Dean gives up on Castiel. They all try texting him, messages and calls bombarding his cell phone, wherever it is. After nine, all of his friends give him their gifts and he opens them, happy with them. A few books, a tuner for his guitar, a new leather cord (for Sam's amulet that he gave Dean  _years_ ago), some socks, and a couple of t-shirts. It's a good haul, and Dean's more than happy with the party - minus the lack of Castiel. 

Everyone heads out at ten, wishing Dean a final "Happy Birthday" and stepping back into the cold air. He helps Mary and Sam clean up downstairs, the whole process taking about thirty minutes. He heads up to his own room, taking a quick shower and putting on one of the new shirts to sleep in. It's a dark green, and Jo said it "made his eyes pop". He settles into bed, trying to smile when he still felt a heavy, cold weight in the pit of his stomach. He hadn't gotten a single word from Castiel all day, and now  _this?_

Dean felt pretty bad when he went to bed. 

 

***

 

Meanwhile, as Dean slumbered in his room upstairs, Castiel was scaling the tree outside of his room. He had learned to climb it when they were just kids. The first time he'd made it to the top, Cas had been ten years old. He'd clambered into Dean's room, scraping his knees and elbows in the process, but it had been worth it. The triumph of scaling the maple, reaching the slimmest branches and still managing to make the jump into Dean's neat, cozy bedroom. It was one of Castiel's favorite memories with him.

 He climbs it easily, up until he reaches the branches at the top. They're far too small to hold him, but there's a tiny ledge next to Dean's window. 

_I might die trying to give the person I care about a stupid gift. How fitting._

Castiel jumps the short distance, almost crashing into the window. It rattles in the frame, and he pushes it open, hope in his heart that it will open. When it does, he says a quick  _thank you_ to whatever gods have been watching over him, falling into the room and somehow not managing to die. 

He stands up, eyes scanning the room and landing on a stunned Dean in bed. 

"Cas?"

"Dean," Castiel breathes the word out like a prayer, as if this other boy is a heavenly gift that was placed upon earth.

 

***

 

"What the hell are you doing here, Cas?" Dean's anger leaks out through his words, sitting up as straight as he can against the headboard. 

"I can explain, Dean. I can explain everything."

Castiel steps further into the room, visibly cold. He takes something out of the pocket in his jacket, hiding it in his hands. He sits down on the far edge of the bed, but the poor guy looks so cold and frozen that Dean gestures for him to come closer on his side. Facing him, cross-legged on the bed, Castiel starts his story. 

"My Mother forbade me from going. She took my phone, and I was stuck, Dean. I waited until everyone else was asleep to sneak out through my window. I'm so sorry, Dean. I can't even begin to-"

"Why did you stop talking to me at school?" Dean's voice is hard and accusing, eyes trained on Castiel's face.

"What?"

"Cas, you stopped talking to me at school  _completely._ You didn't even give me a fucking  _reason!_ I thought you started to hate me or something, Cas. So why'd you stop?"

Castiel stares at him for what feels like an entire minute, their eyes locked in the near-darkness of the room. The package still sits heavy in his hands. When Castiel finally glances back down at the newspaper, he hands it over to Dean, eyes moving to look at the corner of the wall instead of at his friend. 

Dean opens it up slowly, untying the string and ripping long strips of paper off of whatever's inside. A silver pendant falls into Dean's hand, and he holds it up in the light to see what it is. 

A pair of silver wings, barely the size of the pad of his thumb. Each wing has individual feathers etched into the metal, intricate detail swirling around the silver. Dean gasps as he runs his fingers over the grooves, unable to believe that Cas could have possibly done this for _him_ _?_

"I spent my time making that. I didn't know quite what to tell you to excuse my actions, so I simply... left. I wanted that to mean, Dean - the wings - even when angels aren't watching over you, I will be. I can always... help you, if you need it. I thought that you could possibly place it with Sam's amulet, but if you don't-"

Castiel was cut off again, but this time, it was not a cold hand that stopped him. Instead, warms arms wrapped around his icy shoulders, pulling him into a hug and down onto the side of the mattress. Dean had let his face fall into the crook of Castiel's shoulder, one hand resting against the boy's chest and the other clasping the pendant. 

"I love it, Cas," Dean speaks quietly against Castiel's neck, breath hot against the other boy's skin. 

They make no attempt to move from their current hugging-while-lying-down position, something that could definitely be categorized as cuddling. Castiel lets one of his hands drift up to rest in Dean's hair, softly stroking while his other hand rubbed gentle circles into his lower back. Dean feels like he's in heaven, wrapped up in Cas and able to melt against his warm body. Cas continues his ministrations, even when Dean appears to have drifted into sleep - Castiel stays awake, comforting the other boy and trying to make up for all the wrong from the past few weeks.

Dean suddenly realizes that he's being cradled by his  _best friend._ His best friend who he has giant crush on is holding him and pushing his fingers through Dean's hair, something that's making him feel a little weak inside. And Dean knows that's not something friends do. Ever. So he decides to try something, just to see -  _just to see._

His lips rest a mere inch away from Castiel's neck, one inch separating Dean from ever-so-gently pressing his mouth to the soft skin. He leans forward just slightly, lips barely brushing the spot. From the way Castiel's heartbeat picks up, it wasn't soft enough to go unnoticed. So he does it again, a little more obvious this time. A caress, a drag of his lips against Cas's throat. Dean can feel Castiel shiver slightly at the touch, body no longer cold from the outside but warm from the blankets and Dean's body heat. 

Moving up farther, Dean places a real, legitimate kiss under Castiel's jaw. The other boy's hand tightens slightly in his hair before resuming the soft stroking from before. Dean kisses again, solid and hot on his jaw. Dean wants to keep going, he wants to hear Cas _moan -_ but that seems a little too forward. Castiel lies on the bed, almost completely still except for the gentle motions of his hands. Dean becomes bolder, shifting so that he can twist a hand in the dark locks on Castiel's head and still move forward. He kisses his cheek, moving slowly across his sharp cheekbones until Dean reaches his lips. 

Cas closes the distance between them after waiting for a moment, lips hot and slightly soft against Dean's own. He moves his arms down, holding Dean's waist and pulling their chests closer together. Castiel is far more adventurous than Dean, almost immediately opening his mouth and allowing his tongue to trace the bow of Dean's lips. Dean follows his lead, sparks shooting up and down his spine as Castiel's grip tightens around him. He slides his tongue against Cas's, sensation turning him to putty in Castiel's hands. 

Dean pulls away to breathe, sharing hot breaths with his friend. He meets Castiel's eyes, finding the blue in his irises almost electric in the pale light of the room. Castiel places a hand on either side of his face, their mouths meeting again and both boys feeling more confident. Dean nips at Cas's mouth until his lips are red and slick, enjoying the soft moans and sighs that the action gets out of him. Castiel, in turn, slides his tongue along the roof of Dean's mouth, the other boy unable to stop a groan at the gentle touches and occasional wet kiss to his neck. Castiel  _loves_ kissing Dean's neck - he nibbles on his pulse point, sucks along his collarbone, peppers soft, barely-there kisses against Dean's throat until he's a moaning mess in Castiel's hands. They don't move their hands too much, focusing instead of the push and pull of their tongues, the sighs and sweet noises coming from each other's mouths. 

Castiel sits up, pushing Dean off for a moment. He leans forward, resting his forehead against the other boy's.

"Dean?" 

"Yeah, Cas?"

"Happy birthday."

**Author's Note:**

> i was inspired by my own birthday from a few days ago. didn't end quite the same, but oh well!  
> thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed!  
> feedback is greatly appreciated~  
> (sorry for mistakes, hastily checked at 12:35 AM)


End file.
